Gallagher Hospitality Practice Pool Procedures JUNE 2017
Introduction It s that time of the year again. Temperatures are rising and families are making their summer vacation plans. Since most households in the U.S. do not have a swimming pool, a hotel pool is a very sought after amenity. The pool area is usually not the location of many accidents but, if one happens, it could be severe, even life threatening. To prevent these types of injuries, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has been committed to educating our clients. In this paper we include guidelines for hiring lifeguards, pool procedures and incident prevention. Lifeguards are responsible for the safety of hotel guests and as a hotel employee, they will also be an important part of guest satisfaction. He/she must not only have the required physical skills and certifications to perform the duties of a lifeguard, he/she must also have good people skills to ensure the guests safety and enjoyment. Lifeguard Hiring Guidelines SUGGESTED PHYSICAL SKILLS NEEDED Must be able to swim 300 yards continuously Tread water for two minutes using only legs Complete a timed event in 1:40: Swim 20 yards Dive 7 to 10 feet and pick up a 10 pound weight Swim 20 yards on back to the starting point Exit the pool without using stairs or ladder SUGGESTED CERTIFICATIONS American Red Cross Lifeguard Training YMCA Lifeguarding Certificate Boy Scouts of America Lifeguard Certificate National Pool and Waterpark Lifeguard Training American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor (WSI) First aid and CPR Automatic External Defibrillators (AED s) - Optional SUGGESTED PEOPLE SKILLS Lifeguards should be outgoing, friendly and relate well to others. Suggested Lifeguard Equipment Life rings with throw ropes Shepherds crook Buoy rope Bright-colored swimsuits and outer garments. Additionally, any outer garment (shirt or jacket) should have the word LIFEGUARD printed on the back. Hats or helmets and sunglasses can also be provided to shield the lifeguard from the sun and ensure better vision of the pool area. Whistles, bullhorns or voice amplification items may be necessary depending upon pool size and configuration. Sun screen, sun shades and/or other skin protection implements should be made available to lifeguards. For pools with large numbers of patrons, an elevated chair or stand may be required to provide the lifeguard with an unobstructed view of the pool area. Incident Prevention In order to prevent incidents, management should develop loss prevention strategies that include: The development and posting of appropriate rules and regulations. The enforcement of the rules and regulations. Identification of hazards and removal of those hazards if possible. Identification of activities that can place guests at risk. These activities should be prohibited (i.e., running, jumping, horseplay). A public education component, a hazard and risk assessment, and development of prevention strategies, implementation guidelines and training. If no lifeguard services are provided, sufficient notice (signage) of the following should be provided: No Lifeguard On Duty Swim At Your Own Risk Children Must Be Carefully Supervised At All Times No Swimming Without Another Adult In Attendance No Diving (in less than 9 feet of water) Children Under The Age of 15 May Not Use The Pool Unattended Pool Hours No Glassware Alcohol Rules Gallagher Hospitality Practice Pool Procedures 2
Management should develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guide staff in their routine activities. Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) should be developed and implemented, and all staff should participate in emergency response drills to ensure their ability to respond to emergency situations. The development of the ERPs should include every conceivable contingency. Participants in these emergency response drills should be challenged not only with responding properly to the emergency but what steps could have been taken to prevent it. A key element of the ERP is a comprehensive threat analysis designed to: Assess the physical facility for hazards Remove the hazards or safeguard the public by warning them of the hazards Assess activities that place patrons at risk Prohibit hazardous activities or develop and implement appropriate safeguards to protect patrons engaged in those activities Surveillance Lifeguards are charged with learning effective surveillance procedures and techniques that are specific to the facility they are protecting. It is management s responsibility to guarantee the Lifeguards ability to adhere to these standards. THE 30-SECOND-RULE Lifeguards must be able to provide effective surveillance of their entire area of responsibility and must be able to effectively supervise from the furthest extremes from one side to the opposite side and back within a 30-second period. If this is not possible due to the size of the area, or the number of people within the assigned area, then the area must be confined or additional lifeguards added. THE 10/20 RULE Lifeguards, while providing continuous and effective surveillance, must be able to assess a potential victim s distress and determine if intervention is required within 10 seconds of the initial recognition. If intervention is required, the lifeguard must be able to intervene (rescue the person) within 20 seconds. In order for this to be accomplished, the lifeguard must be appropriately positioned to be able to respond anywhere within his area of responsibility within the 20-second period. Lifeguards must be vigilant in their duties while at their assigned stations and must provide continuous and effective surveillance. They must anticipate the rescue and must remain alert to recognize swimmers in distress in, on, and around the water, including victims at the water s surface as well as submerged victims. When groups are using the facility, group leadership should assist in providing supervision, regardless of whether or not lifeguards are available. If lifeguard services are not available, management must advise the group that there are no lifeguards on duty, and that the group leaders must provide stringent and effective surveillance and supervision while the participants are in, on and around the water. Management should provide the group leadership with supervisory and safety guidelines that must be followed while the aquatic facility is in use. When an incident occurs at a supervised facility that is not immediately recognized by supervisory personnel, it is typically due to one of three factors, referred to as RID Factors. R = Recognition: Supervisory personnel fail to recognize the victim s distress or the potential for the incident, because they were not appropriately positioned or vigilant in their duties. I = Intrusion: Supervisory personnel fail to identify and recognize the incident or its potential because they are engaged in activities (i.e. maintenance duties) which intrude upon their ability to provide effective surveillance. D = Distraction: Supervisory personnel fail to recognize the incident or its potential because they are engaged in activities (i.e. talking on the telephone, reading, talking to patrons or other staff, etc.) that distract from their level of attention and vigilance. Gallagher Hospitality Practice Pool Procedures 3
Lifeguards are taught general surveillance principles and procedures within their lifeguard training courses. However, it is the responsibility of management to instruct lifeguards on the procedures which must be used and followed at the facility in order to supervise guests in all activities when in, on and around the water. The surveillance procedures for each facility varies with the design of the facility, the number of guests, the number of lifeguards or other supervisory personnel, the activities the guests are engaged in, environmental factors, etc. Incident Management Management of the incident not only refers to the activation of an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) in the rescue of patrons, but also to the enforcement of rules and regulations. Facility rules and regulations must be enforced consistently and appropriately in order to prevent incidents. This enforcement should be done tactfully and using good interpersonal skills. Hazards must be promptly identified and either removed or warn the guests of the issue. A continuous assessment must also be made of the guests activities to determine the levels of risk. When the potential for an incident is high due to a physical hazard or elevated risk activities, supervisors must remove the hazard or prohibit the high risk activities. Lifeguards must recognize an incident at its inception and intervene in order to prevent the progression of the incident and the deterioration of the victim s condition. Personnel Issues Since lifeguards are our first line of defense in preventing/limiting guest injuries, the importance of their duties must be emphasized during training. In addition to completing practical and written tests prior to being hired, lifeguards should undergo refresher trainings every month. Lifeguard shifts are normally eight hours but in no event, can they work more than 12. Fatigue can contribute to a loss of focus which could have dire consequences. Gallagher Hospitality Practice Pool Procedures 4
Global Headquarters 2850 Golf Road Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 Gallagher Hospitality Practice About the Author Jim Stover is a Senior Vice President with Gallagher s Hospitality Practice. Previously, he served as Vice President of safety and security for 10 years for Bristol Hotels & Resorts, one of the largest hotel operators in North America. His experience also includes leadership of hospitality services loss prevention for Wausau and leadership of a hospitality safety and security consulting group. For more information, contact: Jim Stover Senior Vice President, Loss Control jim_stover@ajg.com 713.358.5216 www.ajg.com/hospitality 17GGB31934A